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Post by Shadowkit on May 11, 2020 19:53:47 GMT -5
Rowan listened to her question, giving a slight nod and then straightening up as she continued, giving an unexpected voucher for her clanmates that he wasn't expecting to hear from Softchirp. He didn't know why he should believe what she was saying given the experiences he had had with Quailpad and that ilk, but...then again, he thought of Shadepaw's curiosity, how open she was to speaking with him, and he wondered if there couldn't be a couple more cats who felt that way too.
"No, Quailpad didn't aggravate me wound or any thing. He just trod upon my loner pride," It was meant as a joke, but as the contempt that Gingerstar had said the word 'loner' with returned to him, his mew sounded a little more off than he had meant for it to. "Now, where are these mythical curious clan cats? You might have to show me a flying hedgehog first."
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Non-binary
☾ѕησσzє☽
no im not okay, I suck at a game I play 8 hours a day
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Post by ☾ѕησσzє☽ on May 11, 2020 21:48:42 GMT -5
»𝕊𝕠𝕗𝕥𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕡 ♦𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 Shadowkit 's Rowan ♦𝕊𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕟
↦↦✿↤↤
She brought herself to the den entrance, wanting him to follow. It was reaching the time for all the cats of the clan to settle into the camp so she would have an easier time pointing them out to them. Luckily enough for them, no one was focused on the spare den instead they were in groups, speaking softly to each other over different pieces of prey. She scanned the area, wondering to herself who she should point out first. She nodded to a smaller group of cats consisting of three she-cats with a smaller tom beside them. They were all laughing over something, surely not forgetting the earlier tension that was in the clan.
"Okay, you see those cats? The white she-cat I was speaking to earlier today is Mistyglow, and then there's Coppersnow. She was the other one I spoke to. They are pretty curious about you as far as I know. Then there is Sweetfern and her apprentice Ashpaw, they are pretty easy-breezy types. I bet they're all together because Coppersnow wanted to talk about the strange cat in our clan, not in a bad light either. Actually if I recall correctly..." She only hesistated for a dramatic effect but her whiskers were twitching giving sign it was funny to her "she called you cute." She turned her attention away from them after this, trying to find others but the rest seemed more...stuck in their ways. She paused on Hayflame, trying to figure her brother out. He was certainly skeptical and against this for the time being but he was sure to change his mind eventually.
"Hayflame, he might be a bit rude to you now but he's all about familial ties. He would feel a bit put in the middle between Sparklight and I but his mate is Ashendream, another queen of ours. She's got a bite to her words, more blunt than others but I think she's pretty nice." She recalled the first true meeting with Ashendream, one where they didn't just exchange pleasantries. The she-cat had come to her for help with her crush on her brother, she was rather shy and seemed to look up to Softchirp at the time. She was sure the queen till held onto this, unless Sparklight had gotten to her by now. The two were sharing a den, it would be a bit unpleasant to have differing opinions considering it'd be another six months of the two.
{So another thing, probably doesn't matter but was thinking tomorrow before he went to get checked out, Sparklight has her kits, it would be a big thing and maybe take eyes off Rowan for a while so he could form more bonds with the clan. Gingerstar would certainly forget him for a long time since it's her daughter}
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Post by Shadowkit on May 12, 2020 8:52:08 GMT -5
(That sounds like a good event, though my initial thought was that some cats might be suspicious of Rowan doing something? he's also injured tho so i could see them dropping their guard. I like the idea though, he can meet one or two of the she-cats maybe, maybe another apprentice)
Rowan drew closer to the spare den and listened intently as Softchirp started describing a cohort of cats which she didn't feel would be particularly averse to his presence. He noted what she said about them and tried to save an image of each cat in his mind, that way he could remind himself to show them a bit of attention if the opportunity presented itself.
Then Softchirp captured his attention by focusing on what Coppersnow had said, and he half-snorted half-chuckled as she informed him that Coppersnow thought he was cute. He felt an initially twinge of disbelief, but as he glanced over at Coppersnow, and Softchirp searched to find more cats to tell him about, he had to marvel at the possibility that this stranger might have thrown such a compliment at the stranger who had only been given grief, kindness, or Shadepaw at this point.
Rowan had to refocus on Softchirp as his mind wandered away, and he gave a less humorous snort as she mentioned Hayflame. It might have come off a bit rudely, but he certainly didn't expect Hayflame to be one of the cats he would get along with. Then again, he had been a pawstep away from the cats who had seemed ready to turn his pelt patchery for the spare den. Perhaps Softchirp could work some magic with him in the short time he'd be here. "I guess we'll see."
He turned back to Softchirp, preparing to reenter the spare den as he thought about all of the cats Softchirp had mentioned. "So, not all evil, hmmm? I suppose that couldn't be possible. If you live here, there must be more nice cats within these walls." It wasn't a hidden compliment at all, and as he passed by, their fur colliding, he let out a quiet, self-amused chuckle.
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Non-binary
☾ѕησσzє☽
no im not okay, I suck at a game I play 8 hours a day
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Post by ☾ѕησσzє☽ on May 12, 2020 21:00:47 GMT -5
»𝕊𝕠𝕗𝕥𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕡 ♦𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 Shadowkit 's Rowan ♦𝕊𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕟
↦↦✿↤↤
"Well, yes nice cats live here. To be quiet honest with you, most cats in the clan have the ability to be nice but they are blinded by past tales. It's kind of sad to think about. Judging a single cat based off the actions they would never know." She continued her look around the clan, wondering if she should point out all the cats. She decided against this at the last moment, he wouldn't need to know everyone in the clan. How nice it would be if he got the same chance as the last loner in our clan. He probably wouldn't take us up on it though, his time here so far has been filled with apprentice like drama from everyone he's interacted with besides Shadepaw and me.
She laid there for a few moments, just enjoy the moment with Rowan until she saw Ashendream leave the nursery, the queen wasn't nearly as far along as Sparklight but she was still showing a small round belly. To any cat who didn't know they would think she had a full meal and was just bloated from it. The queen was approaching her mate quickly, speaking to him hushed tones before glancing to Softchirp. Her ears went down when they made eye contact, realizing they were discussing her. It couldn't be anything good based off of what all had been going on but she held onto a hope that Ashendream would defend her. Hayflame seemed totally unfocused on their conversation, turning his head to break away with his own conversation with Rookstorm to answer his mates questions. Ashendream seemed a bit upset about it though, turning her head away and leaving abruptly before Hayflame had even noticed.
"I don't envy the mates of this clan. Having a relationship like that must be hard." She suddenly mewed, resting her head on her paws. It was true she didn't envy them when it seemed there was a struggle in communication or a fight between them breaking out but at any other given moment she found herself a bit in awe. She barely had cats she could call friends in Chasmclan yet somehow her brother, sister, and many others managed to form such strong bonds.
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Post by Shadowkit on May 12, 2020 22:03:58 GMT -5
Rowan blinked at her, thinking about the tale Shadepaw gave him as Softchirp commented on the state of the clan--the way the tale affected them. He thought about mentioning that the apprentice had told him, but Softchirp was gazing around the clan and looking plenty preoccupied. He figured she already had enough on her mind. He didn't need to pose a complicated question right away--to twist it to his advantage just yet.
He continued to gaze at her as she marveled at what it must be like to be a committed cat. He hadn't particularly noticed Softchirp's sister, and her mate, but he wondered what was making her say so. "It isn't really that tough," He murmured quietly as he thought of his own...partner. Where did Ebony and him stand? He couldn't put the proper word to it. "You just...like each other, and you both do what makes each other happy." It was quite a simple version of matehood, missing a lot of the complexity that came with being that close to another cat. He relaxed into a stretch on his uninjured side, giving a slight shrug. "But, it must be difficult, since the cats aren't the easiest with you. But...Adderskip clearly cared about you. Another cat will too, you just..just have to find him or her."
His eyes glowed as he knew he invoked the name of a cat who was sensitive to her. He didn't know if she even wanted something like that, but then again she didn't seem to know much about it either. If things had been different...not that Rowan knew him at all, but maybe Adderskip and her...
"Have you..asked your siblings about it? I bet...if they have experience, they probably have good advice for you?"
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Non-binary
☾ѕησσzє☽
no im not okay, I suck at a game I play 8 hours a day
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Post by ☾ѕησσzє☽ on May 12, 2020 22:26:25 GMT -5
»𝕊𝕠𝕗𝕥𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕡 ♦𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 Shadowkit 's Rowan ♦𝕊𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕟
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"I think Adderskip cared for me like a clanmate, nothing more. The clan watches for each other, no matter the ties or mistakes that have been made. I'm sure if someone else had seen me leaving they would have followed too." She tried to imagine herself having feelings for the tom who saved her life. If he had lived she might have felt something towards him but she was sure it would be nothing more than what she did now, grateful for him. "Anyways, even if he did like me and whatnot I have never felt that way towards someone. Add in Sparklight's crush on him, it would never happen." She listened to him talk about asking her siblings and couldn't help the amusement showing on her face. She felt like a kit asking about how they were made to come into this world, being tossed away to a family member so the awkwardness could end.
"Don't think I haven't asked before but their answer is just as confusing for me." She recalled all those moons ago, awkwardly asking Sparklight how she knew she wanted to be with Adderskip or asking Ashendream the same towards her brother. "They told me they just knew. Something about feeling jealousy towards cats who spent time with them and the butterflies in their stomach when they spent time together. To me, those feelings don't sound exactly positive but hey, what do I know. I've never even tried to get close to a cat like that in my life. Mates have always been the furthest thing from my mind. The pressure of living up to the name my parents made for themselves certainly made it hard to find time to get that special bond." She knew that wasn't the only reason, she never took a mate because every cat in the clan just seemed too...uninteresting for her. They were great as friends but any further than that she was sure their conflicting opinions would drive her up the clan's walls. A sudden thought entered her mind and she turned to look at Rowan, he knew a bit about mates, right? He had to considering Ebony and him were pratically to that point. She wouldn't want a relationship like theirs but she still wondered how he felt.
"How did you know Ebony would be the one? I've never asked toms for their opinions."
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Post by Shadowkit on May 12, 2020 22:49:12 GMT -5
Rowan had to frown. Sure, there were a few cats who were cordial and showed interest in how he was doing, but none of them were likely to throw themselves to their death for him. He had to doubt what Softchirp said, that it was just normal for a clanmate to do that. What bond could be that strong, other than a deep personal affection for someone?
But he let it go, knowing that pushing it wasn't going to yield anything great. She felt the way she felt, and who was he to push that particular issue? He gave a dark chuckle as she commented on the feeling of having to live up to her parents, and that not leaving her the time to pursue something like that. "I'm sure that makes it tough, no doubt." He quietly commented as he traced the ground under his paw in a circle.
Then his gaze shifted from his paw back to her. Her last comment about Ebony echoed in his head again, and as he tried to read her expression and the intent behind her words, he came up undecided as to what she was searching for exactly. "I can't speak for any other cats. Especially you clanfolk. But when she showed up when I didn't have anyone...and then she stayed through both the ups and the downs that life brings you...well, it..." His gaze dropped a bit, turning to the left side as he stared at a point in the ground without really focusing on it.
His gaze was distant, and he seemed in another place. "Well, she...had made me feel something that lasted longer. Longer than a day or two." There was something more in his voice than love, more than appreciation. Something sadder that he didn't realize had gotten through his shield of deceit. "That's how I knew."
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Non-binary
☾ѕησσzє☽
no im not okay, I suck at a game I play 8 hours a day
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Post by ☾ѕησσzє☽ on May 12, 2020 23:46:23 GMT -5
»𝕊𝕠𝕗𝕥𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕡 ♦𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 Shadowkit 's Rowan ♦𝕊𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕟
↦↦✿↤↤
She tried to think of a cat who made her feel that way. His choice of words left her more confused though, she didn't change her feelings for cats in a couple of days. She never even had fleeting crushes in her youth so how would she know if she met the right cat or if it's just a passing fancy? Her head shook, this would prove itself more complicated than once thought and now she was even further behind. Most cats in the clan were taken and the few left were...not desirable. She looked towards Shadownose and Crowclaw, two of the only eligible toms in the clans. When she pictured herself with them though, it caused laughter to escape. She was in hysterics for several moments before calming down.
"Sorry, I just pictured myself with two toms in our clan and it's...funny to me. They are certainly not my type, which is fine. I don't think I'd feel upset at never having a mate. Your name in this clan isn't etched into stone based on who you were with." She turned the conversation back to him though, not wanting to dwell on getting her a mate much longer. "What is the feeling she brought you though? It might be hard to describe but it's hard for me to think of it any different than my clanmates. They've been with me through it all, ups, down, left, rights." She teased "yet I don't feel I've ever had what one would call romantic feelings toward them. They might have left me during a dark time but they had every reason to, they too were mourning a lost of a great clanmate."
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Post by Shadowkit on May 13, 2020 0:05:46 GMT -5
Rowan raised his eyebrows as Softchirp laughed at his advice. He didn't smile, eyeing her with an unreadable expression while she began to explain what was running through her head. He gave a simple shrug as she stated, simply, that she didn't really feel it was necessary for her life. Can't say I blame you. You already have a lot to worry about.
"I don't know how to describe it. They...they were right. You just know when you belong with them, and if you never feel that, well...maybe you belong to something else. I don't know. But you've got a reason for feeling the way you do. I'm sure of that." He licked down some of the fur on his side, thinking to himself for a bit. "But, I guess..." He sighed quietly, not wanting to bring the conversation back to Ebony. "When you leave for just a little bit, and you are doing whatever you have to, and each minute you think about being back near that cat...that's it. I think that's how you know. At least, how you know they could be something special."
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Non-binary
☾ѕησσzє☽
no im not okay, I suck at a game I play 8 hours a day
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Post by ☾ѕησσzє☽ on May 13, 2020 1:36:06 GMT -5
»𝕊𝕠𝕗𝕥𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕡 ♦𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 Shadowkit 's Rowan ♦𝕊𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕟
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She stretched out in the spot they were that, not caring the clan could see her pressing herself against him. She didn't really mean to, just sitting so close to the entrance of the den had give her little room. It didn't bother her though, she had stretched out on her clanmates a lot and it never seemed to be taken as more. "You have a fair point, Rowan. Perhaps one day I will understand this whole mate nonsense but I feel it will remain a mystery to me until the day someone gives me those feelings. If it doesn't happen, as I said, not sweat off my back. I mean, our lineage will continue through Ashendream's kit and Sparklight's." She closed her eyes, letting the bit of sun hitting her face warm her. She was still tired after this morning but she didn't want to just sleep the whole day away.
"Hey, Rowan, do you think you can travel outside the camp walls with your wound?" Her question was random of course but she didn't want to dwell on her love life much longer, it was depressing enough as is.
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Post by Shadowkit on May 13, 2020 2:05:11 GMT -5
Rowan took in a breath as she finished speaking by asking him if he could get outside of the camp walls. He stared at her for a bit, trying to evaluate the state of his wound without looking at it. It wasn't really hurting, he knew that. He glanced down towards the wound and saw the patchwork on it, held together by the eager, yet seemingly competent apprentice.
"I'm not sure," He murmured, looking back up to her. "It isn't hurting at all, but Shadepaw and the other one said I shouldn't be doing any strenuous movement." He didn't bother uttering Whitespark's name. "I guess...what is strenuous?" He raised an eyebrow at her, ready to leave the decision to her. He had walked just fine to the other den and back, but that wasn't really an endorsement of walking outside the camp.
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Non-binary
☾ѕησσzє☽
no im not okay, I suck at a game I play 8 hours a day
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Post by ☾ѕησσzє☽ on May 13, 2020 2:50:24 GMT -5
»𝕊𝕠𝕗𝕥𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕡 ♦𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 Shadowkit 's Rowan ♦𝕊𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕟
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"Depends on if you can make it out the super secret passage way." She teased, standing up now. The clan would be preparing for evening patrols after they had their fill of prey, it would leave a wide opening for them to head out on their own. "You see, there's a reason the clan has you on watch even in this den. Right next to it is the tunnel leading out to the open world, it's kinda used as a dirt place tunnel now for the elders in camp because it's less of incline for them. " She poked her head out fully and looked to the place she was talking of, no one stood guard of course and it would be a quick shoot out of here. It also would put them on the right side of the territory for her plan.
"We'd have to wait a bit to leave and if you start hurting too much, please tell me so I can take you back to camp. I just can't stand sitting around all day, I'll put on weight from all of this." She knew it would be taken as a joke but it had some truth to it, eating and not moving much could cause her to blow up as big as a kittypet, especially since her body was so used to lots of exercise.
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Post by Shadowkit on May 13, 2020 3:09:13 GMT -5
"Then, I guess we'll be going out." He quietly mused. "I get to see the sprawling lands without fear of death on the mind. That should be nice," He grinned. "Are we going to eat now, or when we're out there? I can't help, you see...Shadepaw's official special healery orders." He flicked his ears, readjusting himself on his side awkwardly as he struggled to with the she-cat so close to him.
"If my wound starts mortally burning, I'll be sure to mention it. I promise." Seeing the territory was a great opportunity for him, and he couldn't pass up on it.
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Post by Shadowkit on May 13, 2020 3:36:10 GMT -5
”Then I would vote we try to find some prey out there,” he commented. Some more fresh prey that he wasn’t used to sounded excellent, and he didn’t want to miss the chance to scout the territory. “I guess I’ll just be an emotionally supportive deadweight, hmm?”
He blinked at her and his eyes lit with a bit of a sparkle. “Are...are you going to bring me to the water?” There was a little awe flowing into his voice and he seemed similar to a kit that was eager to see outside the nursery. “I...I mean, you’re in charge, so I...” he gulped. “Uhhh...I mean...” he was slowly growing more flustered as he stammered more. Over...water.
(is ok)
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Non-binary
☾ѕησσzє☽
no im not okay, I suck at a game I play 8 hours a day
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Post by ☾ѕησσzє☽ on May 13, 2020 3:45:47 GMT -5
»𝕊𝕠𝕗𝕥𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕡 ♦𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 Shadowkit 's Rowan ♦𝕊𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕟
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Surprisingly, she didn't laugh at his kit like wonder about the water. Sure, to any average clan cat this might seem odd but she understood that the city might not have the same things they did. She tried to imagine how she would feel if she never saw the water, it would certainly be shocking the first time. She'd have to remind him to not go stumbling inside, though it might be safer around this time in the season. "I suppose we could go there, I'd love for you to see it after all. Do you think you would want to try fish? I'm not a big fan of it but maybe you would be, it is something new for you to try after all." She couldn't help the intruding thoughts in her head, she wanted him to love this territory. A part of her hoped he would grow to enjoy the land and maybe even want to stay longer than the few days. Of course it would prove itself difficult to convince Gingerstar to let him but she didn't want him to go, things woud get very boring without his presence.
She tried to ignore the feelings in her stomach at the thoughts, chalking them up to just be hunger. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw the last stray warrior make their way to the other side, settling into the sunniest spot in camp. This would be their chance to leave.
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Post by Shadowkit on May 13, 2020 16:39:14 GMT -5
Rowan listened intently as she took his awe seriously and didn't tease him for it. Gratitude rushed throughout his pelt as she told him she wanted him to see it. His genuine smile stayed stuck on his face as his eyes continued to glow with the possibility. He tilted his head with interest as she asked whether he'd want to try the watery food. He didn't know there were fish here, but maybe he should have been able to guess. "Y-yeah...I'll try fish..." He murmured quietly. "I'll try anything I have the chance to," He added in his low tone.
He looked around from their spot at the mouth of the den, looking for cats, particularly those that she had pointed out to them. He wondered where Hayflame was, because certainly the warrior was likely to protest him being out of the camp, even if it was under Softchirp's guard. He hoped she knew how to make their escape covert, because he didn't imagine him being caught going out was going to bode well for his ability to stretch his stay.
"A walk will be nice, too." He mewed as he nodded to his own comment.
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Non-binary
☾ѕησσzє☽
no im not okay, I suck at a game I play 8 hours a day
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Post by ☾ѕησσzє☽ on May 14, 2020 2:21:25 GMT -5
»𝕊𝕠𝕗𝕥𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕡 ♦𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 Shadowkit 's Rowan ♦𝕊𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕟
↦↦✿↤↤
She saw the chance and gestured quickly for him to follow, rushing to the exit and up it. Once they were covered in the darkness of the tunnel, she felt better. It would be harder to spot them now, at least for the moment. Most cats would be focused on hunting patrols so they'd have time to explore this side of the territory till their hearts were content. She crawled out the other side and scrambled to her paws, letting the sun warm her pelt as she waited for him. It had felt like moons since she was outside even though in reality it had only been since the morning before. As they passed over the territory to the water, she felt a panic rise in her chest.
I haven't really been this way since Adderskip...I can't show it's upsetting me though, it might put a damper on Rowan's mood. I want this to be fun. She let her paws carry her, listening to the sounds of prey around them, besides that it was a silent day for the land. No signs of dangers around them, just open fields. "We should arrive there pretty quickly, this side of the territory isn't very long." She commented, looking back at him to make sure he was able to keep up.
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Post by Shadowkit on May 14, 2020 2:53:13 GMT -5
Rowan blinked and gave a surprised "Wh-" as she gave the symbol to go, having to quickly scramble up from where he was resting to follow along with the warrior. He hurried after her as she made her way up this exit, trying to get through it quickly behind her so as not to be caught. If he was, he was sure some cat's claws would be in his neck pretty quickly.
As they stepped outside of the camp, he took in a deep breath and gave himself a comfortable stretch, feeling a new freshness to the air as he departed the strong scents of the clan, though their traces were still plentiful this close. Then, he followed along at a trot beside her, seeming unbothered by his wound as they made their way through the first stretch of the territory.
"Ahh. Great." He responded as she informed him how short this part of the territory was. He began to feel tuned into the beating of his heart as he thought about seeing the water they were approaching. "How large is the water? There was a cat who told me it's impossible to count how many cats it would take to fill up the water. But that can't be true, right?"
As he spoke, he looked about them, scanning the territory for anything interesting or notable. He had to find some way to remember the size of it, and what was where, but at the moment it all felt so...similar. How he was going to get a pawhold on the whole thing to bring that information back was beyond him.
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Non-binary
☾ѕησσzє☽
no im not okay, I suck at a game I play 8 hours a day
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Post by ☾ѕησσzє☽ on May 14, 2020 3:08:38 GMT -5
»𝕊𝕠𝕗𝕥𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕡 ♦𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 Shadowkit 's Rowan ♦𝕊𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕟
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She envied his kitlike wonder towards the water, if only she could see feel that way. To her it was nothing special, just something that existed to cut the border and the occasional swim when it was slow and the weather grew hot. At his question, she shook her head. "It is certainly impossible to know how many cats it would take to fill the water. If I had to guess myself, take Chasmclan then Starclan together, double it and then some you might be able to have enough to fill it." It was quiet a lot to her, it was strange to picture how many cats it would take to make the water feel too crowded. It was still smaller than the moor but it suddenly felt like the biggest thing in the land. She gave him a side eye, watching him scan the territory. Was he afraid they would get lost?
"There's not many markers in our clan, I've heard there was more long ago but they were torn away during a big storm. We pretty much have the water, a few large rocks, and the beginning of a forest on the southern end. Has to be a bit daunting to you right? The city probably has so many places to recognize that it must be easy to maneuver your way around. Here, we let our paws guide us. When you first leave the camp as an apprentice it can be scary though, we've had a few get lost but overtime you grow used to it. The heart will always lead you home as they say." She purred, it was one of the few nicer things her mother had said to her. She was one of the apprentices who had gotten lost in their few moons outside, she was found by Gingerstar and Quailpad. Both were fretting over her and when she had voiced her own fear of never understanding, her mother told her those exact words. She aburptly stopped, ears pricked as she listened ahead.
"Do you hear that? The whooshing noise? It's not wind, it's the river ahead."
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Post by Shadowkit on May 14, 2020 13:41:05 GMT -5
Rowan's eyes widened as she analogized how many cats might be able to fill the water, and he looked at her to catch some sign of a joke. Nope, she was serious. Continuing to scan around them, he tried to picture that much water. It was a hard image to try to conjure.
He was a bit bewildered when she seemed to read his mind, seeing what he was doing and making a conclusion about his purpose. He hoped she didn't interpret it as what he was really doing, gathering information. Even if she did, she helped him out by explaining what the territory was like. At least...it helped him not waste his time. There was no way he was going to be able to track a few big rocks. Maybe once he saw the forest at the southern end, he would be able to make an image of that in his head, but learning this territory was going to be more difficult than he thought.
Here, we let our paws guide us. The heart will always lead you home. He didn't know why, but her words were buzzing around within his head as she said them, and they lingered as he tried to understand the sage wisdom she was passing along to him. The heart will always lead you home? How did that work?
He couldn't ponder it very long as he picked up on the sound just before she pointed it out. Not feeling the wind on his fur, he perked up and drew his attention out from his mind as she told him it was a river. "Where is it? I don't see it yet," He quietly mewed.
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Non-binary
☾ѕησσzє☽
no im not okay, I suck at a game I play 8 hours a day
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Post by ☾ѕησσzє☽ on May 16, 2020 23:24:31 GMT -5
»𝕊𝕠𝕗𝕥𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕡 ♦𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 Shadowkit 's Rowan ♦𝕊𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕟
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She remained still for a few moments, taking in the noise of it. It sounded to be running a bit fast to her, which would mean stepping inside would be ill advised. Then again, she couldn't imagine many cats wanting to leap paws first into cold water, especially on a mildly temped day like today. Finally, she turned herself to him and let a lil mrrow out.
"It's just a little ahead, you always hear it before you see it, kinda like how you would with a monster. Don't worry though, this water is much less frightening than one of those things." She went back to walking, the sunlight glinting off the water being the first sight of it, making her eyes narrow into slits. It was a rather bright day and there was nothing giving shade to it so it was to be expected at this point. Either way, she brought herself to a full stop when they were mere tail lengths away. Turning back to him, she tried to give a stern look, much like one she had received her first day here, but failed instead she laughed at herself. "You have to be careful while we are here, avoid stepping in too deep if you do. It might seem safe to you but I don't feel like getting my paws wet trying to save your life again." She teased, flicking her tail behind her. While he enjoyed looking at it, she could take this time to find some fish for them to share. It wouldn't be an easy task but it was manageable.
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Post by Shadowkit on May 17, 2020 5:48:50 GMT -5
It was hard for Rowan to listen as they approached the source of running water. The river was not the size that he had expected it to be, given the estimate Softchirp had provided him with, but it was still really cool to see the rushing current in front of his own eyes. He had to take it in for several long moments until Softchirp forced him to focus back in.
He padded up close to it, his mouth half-agape the entire time. The rushing current was moving very fast, and he was just moving a paw towards it when Softchirp warned him about moving into it. Feeling his fur go hot and his cheeks go just a little bit red as she teased him about having to save his sorry hide again, he took a step back, gazing down into the water and the reflection of himself that stared back.
"I can't promise anything, Softchirp. You saving me here is pretty much, like, the expectation, isn't it?" He mused with a smile on his awe-struck features as he gazed down into the water. He took a half-step closer, slowly leaning down towards the river as he let the sound of its rushing current overtake his hearing and the vision of the lapping waves take his sight. Nothing else seemed to registed with him as he stared in awe at something that must have been so menial and ordinary to the warrior beside him.
He parted his mouth further and gulped down the saliva in his mouth. Not hesitating any longer, he let his tongue slip out and begin to lap up the fresh water that lapped past them, indulging in the taste of freshness that just wasn't present in the city water as he began lapping it up for the greater part of a minute.
He let out a loud, satisfied sigh of contentment when he finally pulled away. He turned to Softchirp and gazed at her for several silent moments as he tried to figure what he was meant to say. When nothing was coming to him, he gave a quieter, more uncertain sigh as he gazed at her.
"I've never tasted water so fresh," He quietly mewed. The awe and pleasure in his voice was unmistakable. "You...you can come here every day? Whenever...any day you want?" The disbelief and envy was also clear in the ring of his voice as he gazed upon her slender figure. He huddled closer to the ground as his thoughts slowly consumed more and more of his attention, taking him out of the moment more and more.
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Non-binary
☾ѕησσzє☽
no im not okay, I suck at a game I play 8 hours a day
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Post by ☾ѕησσzє☽ on May 18, 2020 6:01:35 GMT -5
»𝕊𝕠𝕗𝕥𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕡 ♦𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 Shadowkit 's Rowan ♦𝕊𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕟
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"Any day we want, we can come here so long as warrior duties don't interfere." Her gaze shifted to the other side of the river, fur fluffing up. It was colder near the water after all but that wasn't the only reason behind this, she was thinking. "You know, when the time comes and you take your leave, you can always go to the other side to get fresh water. Maybe a bit more upstream though, so the warriors don't bother you too much. The other side of the river doesn't belong to us, it belongs to any cat who wishes to come. You might run into some trouble every now and then, I won't lie my clan is full of air heads but none of them will risk walking all the back to camp soaked over a side of the border that isn't ours." She turned her attention back to the water, watching and waiting for a fish to come by. It took several moments for her to see a flash of scales, digging her paw into the water and scooping out a fish with her claws. It flopped around on the ground sadly, trying to get back into the water but she delivered a quick killing blow to it and brought it to Rowan, dropping the fish in front of him. It wasn't very big, would only fill up his belly, but she didn't mind.
"Be careful to not eat of the scales, okay? Those aren't very good."
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Post by Shadowkit on May 18, 2020 15:15:50 GMT -5
Rowan felt his envy building as she explained she could come at any point that her duties didn't get in the way, wondering what it must be like to be a leisurely walk away from something that sounded pretty and tasted great. He marveled at the water a while longer until she brought up his departure.
His gaze fixed on her as he slowly lowered himself into a sit on his haunches, His eyes widened as she explained that the other side was free reign, and that he was at liberty to enjoy it whenever he wanted it. He took in a deep breath and looked back down to the water.
"I'd love to, but it's a pretty long walk, I think. If I left when the sun reached the horizon, I don't think I'd make it before its peak." He quietly lamented, though he wasn't precisely clear if that were true. Trying to remember how long he had walked was difficult. Especially with Ebony accompanying him most of the way, and then injuring him when it became clear they were finally approaching the territory...he hadn't tracked it clearly. "I won't be able to get here at the flick of a paw, unfortunately. Once I'm gone..." What a shame. Once he left, he wouldn't be able to enjoy it for a while, at least until....well, he returned with the group to...
He visibly shook his head to clear the thought from his mind. he didn't need to think that far into the future right now. All he needed to do at the moment was find ways to stall his departure from the clan, and he didn't need to think beyond that for now. "You're lucky." He murmured quietly with envy.
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Non-binary
☾ѕησσzє☽
no im not okay, I suck at a game I play 8 hours a day
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Post by ☾ѕησσzє☽ on May 18, 2020 15:32:40 GMT -5
»𝕊𝕠𝕗𝕥𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕡 ♦𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 Shadowkit 's Rowan ♦𝕊𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕟
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The bitter laugh escaped her mouth before she could stop it. This whole time she had explained to him how clan cats were lucky, but staring out beyond the water she didn't feel so lucky. She was bond to the borders, never to leave until she made the long walk to Starclan. Even then, she would see the same open skies every day of her life...forever. She leaned back onto her haunches, letting the silence envelop them for a while. She didn't know what to tell him, he would be gone in a matter of days, he had reminded her of that, and things would go back to same patterns she lived.
"I guess I am lucky, huh? Not many cats experience this, I take it for granted a lot I suppose. I'm sorry." She had to pry her gaze from beyond to him, trying to think of the words. "I've kinda painted the life of a warrior as being such a great path, huh? Honestly though, you've probably seen things I would be in awe of. I mean, the closest to a two-leg den is a small one. I think I'd also be left in awe about not having...so many responsibilities. Please don't take wrong!" She realized she had just made it sound like he wasn't responsible for anything which was sure to not reign true. "I meant like...well you saw it. My actions not only affect me, they cause a ripple throughout the whole clan. When I speak or do anything I am representing more than myself." She could feel her shoulders sagging, the weight of her words heavy on her. She never really thought of it that much but it was true what the clan said, as the kit of the leader anything she did would be under scrutiny of others. She shifted her weight uncomfortably, more realizations hitting her. They were worried not because of Rowan...right? She was placing the image of clan cats being the types to take in whoever showed signs of being sick. If loners came trampling onto the territory, begging for herbs during a rough leaf bare, they would be left in trouble. The thoughts soured her mood even further but she didn't let Rowan see, instead she tried to shift the conversation away.
"So you've seen the view of the river from here, if you followed it long enough you'd run into this giant pool of water. I have no real way of describing it, I've never traveled that far in my life just heard stories from the elders. Perhaps one day you can make the journey and tell me all about it, a little present for saving you." She joked, giving a weak laugh.
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Post by Shadowkit on May 18, 2020 17:44:34 GMT -5
Rowan felt taken aback as she laughed bitterly, his ears going flat against his head and leaving him both unsure f what she was thinking that made her laugh so bitterly, and unsure of whether he had said something bad to trigger that response in her. He stayed quiet as the nervous, awkward air felt smothering to him, his gaze averting itself from her.
He didn't look back to her as she acknowledged her fortune and apologized, for some reason, for taking advantage of where she was born--he was trying to put his paw on why her mood seemed to have taken such a dip, but her apology wasn't shining any light on it.
He didn't take any offense as she accidentally implied he wasn't responsible for anything--he had heard plenty of what expectations were on her shoulders, and she didn't have any idea how he had been tied down into serving the pack of rogues. He couldn't explain it to her, anyways.
Representing more than yourself. I wonder why you take that so heavy on your heart, when your clanmates don't even seem to like how you treat a cat like me. It didn't make sense to him that she would treat that responsibility with so much weight given that fact, but perhaps she was just...trained to be that devoted.
His ears perked up and Rowan finally looked back to Softchirp as she shifted the conversation from the darker tone she had been slipping into. He wanted to sigh in relief, but he feared she would take that poorly, and he only exhaled quietly. His eyes widened as she explained there was a giant collection of water down the river, instantly sparking his curiosity. Thinking of the way she had described how many cats would be needed to fill this amount o water, he struggled to imagine how big this pool she was talking about was. Clearly, though, she hadn't seen it herself. He wished he could find the time to go see it, but as soon as he was sent out of Chasmclan, he would need to return to the group. They probably weren't going to stay patient beyond a quarter of a moon.
"I guess I'll have to," He shared a weak laugh with her, not wanting to directly address whether he could or not. He turned back to the water, slowly standing and then giving a long stretch. Moving felt good after a day trapped in a den, and he wanted to appreciate that and get away from this dimmer aura that had taken over. He finally turned down to the fish, doing as she had advised and avoiding the scales as he bit the fish open.
It was certainly the strongest flavor he had ever experienced in a piece of prey, and by his raised eyebrows and neutral expression, he didn't seem to love it. Still, he ate the small piece up, finishing it quickly and shrugging afterwards. "Its fine, but that sparrow was much better."
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Non-binary
☾ѕησσzє☽
no im not okay, I suck at a game I play 8 hours a day
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Post by ☾ѕησσzє☽ on May 18, 2020 18:25:38 GMT -5
»𝕊𝕠𝕗𝕥𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕡 ♦𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 Shadowkit 's Rowan ♦𝕊𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕟
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She stood up on her paws and approached him, looking at the fish before focusing on him once more. "Yeah, I should have warned you fish isn't exactly the best piece of prey around. There's still plenty more for you to try, do you know how to hunt properly?" She turned her head to the side with her question, wondering if he knew how to catch prey that ran around them. Surely catching city food was different than what they had here, she had spent moons training under Quailpad until she had perfected her ability to catch. "I mean, it's not like you have mentors out there right?" She brought herself back to the sitting position, wrapping her tail neatly over her paws. She always felt like Shadepaw when she began to question him but there was still so much she didn't know, she wanted to learn as much as she could before he took his leave.
{Again, sorry short and also adding on an apology if I already mentioned her mentor and messed up that xD I just thought it'd add a bit to why Quailpad cares for her in his own weird way}
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Post by Shadowkit on May 18, 2020 18:53:59 GMT -5
(No worries, I'm not sure if it was mentioned before c: )
Rowan looked around them after she asked him whether he could hunt properly. This terrain was very different from the city, sprawling, open, and it was going to be another beast he imagined. Once they moved and took over the clan territory, Rowan had to imagine they were going to struggle to adjust to the new hunting requirements. They were going to need the clan cats to show them the proper method of hunting.
"You know, I'm a fine hunter in the city, but there is a lot of noise, so sneaking up on a rat, as long as it doesn't see you, is pretty easy. So...I'm not sure I'd be so great here. I can guarantee you a couldn't flick a paw and get a fish like you just did." He chuckled softly. "There is a lot of noise to cover up the sounds you make, like if you don't step softly enough. It doesn't seem like you have that luxury here."
"But you seem to get along fine enough. That pile you have for prey is pretty plentiful."
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Non-binary
☾ѕησσzє☽
no im not okay, I suck at a game I play 8 hours a day
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Post by ☾ѕησσzє☽ on May 19, 2020 21:15:11 GMT -5
»𝕊𝕠𝕗𝕥𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕡 ♦𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 Shadowkit 's Rowan ♦𝕊𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕟
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A soft mrrow escaped and she stood up once more, walking back onto the moor ahead. "Come on, Rowanpaw, I have a lot to teach you before you leave." She never really had an apprentice to call her own before now but he would be good training for when the day came. If she could teach a rogue how to be a clan cat...then well she could teach even the toughest of apprentices how to be a proper warrior. She would have to keep in mind his wound though, she obviously couldn't go sparring against him. Not that I would, even I know that no matter how close we may be, teaching him a warrior's fighting technique would be risky. Though it would help him not get mauled by kittypets She thought in amusement, still trying to picture him up against the soft bellies of one of them. I'm pretty sure even the newest of warriors would be able to take them down.
"The first step to any good hunt is locating your prey and figuring out if you're downwind or upwind from it. It could easily cost you a good catch." She scanned the open landscape before them, trying to see if any prey was nearby. It would be surprising if not, given the current season and time of day. As if Starclan willed it to appear, a pair of rabbit ears came up from behind a long piece of grass, it's nose twitching as it chewed on something beyond Softchirp's eyesight. "Do you see that rabbit ahead?" She whispered, turning her head back to him. "Are we downwind or upwind from it?"
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